According to Belarusian Ministry of Statistics and Analysis, beer production constituted 3.32 mln hl, 22.2% more than in 2005, Russian Beer Union announced January 25.

“Belgospicheprom” breweries produced 1.94 hl of beer, 13.1% more than in 2005, private companies – 0.75 hl (twice as much as in 2005), organizations subordinated to local Deputy Soviets – 0.63 mln hl (0.8% less).

In January – November 2006, beer exports slid to 55.57 thousands hl, 35.1% less than in the same period of 2005. Imports, on the contrary rose 43.4% to 0.54 mln hl due mostly to imports from Russia – 0.5 mln hl which grew 47.9% compared with the same period of 2005.

Beer sales increased 24.9% and accounted 3.76 mln hl in 2006. 38.46 litres of beer per capita were sold last year.

According to Slovakian Beer and Malt Producers’ Association, beer sales decreased almost by 4% in 2006, to 3.8 mln hectoliters.

Exports have also fallen till 36200 hectolitres compared with 118400 in 2005, caused mainly by the higher cost of licensing, according to Roman Sustak, the association’s managing director.

Heineken Slovensko accounted 45.6% of market share, while SABMiller’s Pivovary Topvar – 39.2%.

Heineken closed its third brewery in Slovakia blaming the beer market negative trend. Heineken, with only one brewery in the country, said the high tax on beer and the lower price in neighbouring countries was affecting negatively the beer consumption.

Zhoushan InBev Beer Co., Ltd., a Chinese subsidiary of InBev, a Belgium beer giant listed among the World's Top 500 Enterprises, on January 18 started building a new brewery in Zhoushan of east China's Zhejiang Province, Antara News reported January 24.

With a total investment of nearly 300 million yuan (US$38.6 million), the new brewery is expected to become operational in early 2007 with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons.

InBev owns 34 breweries in eight provinces with aggregate sales of 3.6 million tons of beer, making it one of the biggest beer groups in China.

Area seeded to barley in 2007-2008 is forecast by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to increase by 21% from 2006-2007, with production rising by 28% to 12.8 million metric tonnes (Mt). Total supply, however, is expected to increase at a slower pace, as a result of lower carry-in stocks, AAFC reported on January 12. “Returns for feed and malting barley are expected to be relatively attractive which will support total barley area.”

“Domestic feed consumption is projected to increase by 7%, as a result of increased supplies. Assuming normal crop quality, barley exports are expected to increase to 2.4 Mt. Feed barley exports are forecast to increase from 2006-2007 but remains at low levels as deliveries to the CWB continue to be less attractive than to the off-Board market.

Carry-out stocks are expected to rise by 25% to 2.0 Mt. Domestic feed barley prices are forecast to decrease by C$15/t, to C$135/t for 1CW, in-store Lethbridge. The CWB pool returns for malting barley are projected to decrease.”